Conventionally, there have been proposed various methods and apparatuses useable in a case where a coating solution is applied to a plate-like article such as a glass plate and a resin panel. The conventional methods include a method of applying a coating solution with a brush, a method of spraying a coating solution through a nozzle, a curtain flow coating method of showering a coating solution through a slit-shaped nozzle, a spin coating method of applying and spreading a coating solution over a plate-like article by rotating the article, and a method of transferring a coating solution applied onto a rotational rubber roll to a plate-like article.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 7-328506 (Patent Literature 1) discloses a brush-type coating apparatus for applying a coating material to an end periphery of an upper surface of a plate-like article with a brush that is held on a robot arm. The brush-type coating apparatus includes a leftward and rightward slide device mounted to the robot arm. The leftward and rightward slide device has a slider that is guided on a guide bar so as to be slidable in leftward and rightward directions and biased along the guide bar by a spring. An upward and downward slide device is mounted to the slider. The upward and downward slide device includes a guide cylinder that guides a slide bar so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the guide bar, and a spring that biases the slide bar upwardly. A lower face roller is mounted to a lower end portion of the slide bar and brought into press contact with an end edge of a lower face of the plate-like article by a biasing force of the spring. A coating material feeding device is mounted to an upper end portion of the slide bar. The coating material feeding device feeds the coating material to the brush contacted with an end periphery of an upper face of the plate-like article under a condition that the lower face roller is in contact with the end periphery of the lower face of the plate-like article. An end face roller is mounted to a positioning portion of the upward and downward slide device and brought into press contact with an end face between the end peripheries of the upper and lower faces of the plate-like article by the biasing force of the spring of the guide bar.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 11-151458 (Patent Literature 2) discloses a method of applying a liquid chemical to a surface of a plate-like article stopped in a predetermined position on a conveyer. An elongated brush having a width larger than a length of one side of the plate-like article is immersed in the liquid chemical and moved upward and downward along a shape of a curving surface of the plate-like article between one end side and the opposite side of the plate-like article so as to be reciprocated by at least one stroke and thereby uniformly apply the liquid chemical to the surface of the plate-like article. The brush is downwardly moved and passed between a pair of squeezing rolls which are actuated by an open/close cylinder and then moved into an open position. A tip end portion of the brush is immersed in a liquid chemical-filled tank, and then the liquid chemical adheres to the brush is reduced to a desired amount by allowing the brush to upwardly move between the squeezing rolls held in a closed position. After that, the amount of the liquid chemical is applied to the surface of the plate-like article with the brush.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 11-217240 (Patent Literature 3) discloses a method for acid treatment of a glass plate, specifically, a method of spraying an acid solution on a surface of a plate-like article that is horizontally and continuously transported on a conveyer. A shower liquid tank is disposed above the conveyer transporting the glass plate. A plurality of fine holes are uniformly arranged at equal intervals in a bottom of the liquid tank. A liquid level of the acid solution within the liquid tank which is fed by a feeder is kept constant. The acid solution is allowed to drop by gravity on an upper surface of the glass plate through the fine holes formed in the bottom of the liquid tank, so that the acid solution is uniformly sprayed on the surface of the glass plate.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2007-175663 (Patent Literature 4) discloses a spray-coating method using nozzles, i.e., a method of forming a coat on a film-forming surface of a substrate. The method includes the steps of holding the substrate so as to form a predetermined angle between the film-forming surface and a vertical plane, injecting a coating solution through a plurality of nozzles onto the film-forming surface, and moving at least one of the substrate and the nozzles such that the nozzles and the film-forming surface are moved relative to each other while injecting the coating solution.
As to the method of showering the coating solution with slit-type nozzles, Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2006-175421 (Patent Literature 5) discloses a coating apparatus for applying a coating solution to a substrate which includes a substrate holding stage disposed at a center between a pair of parallel rails, first and second gate displacement mechanisms that are disposed so as to span the rails symmetrically with respect to a center line of the substrate holding stage in a width direction thereof extending perpendicular to the rails in plan view of the substrate holding stage and be independently moveable on the rails.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 09-164364 (Patent Literature 6) discloses a spin coating method of applying a coating solution over a plate-like article and spreading the coating solution by rotating the plate-like article. In the spin coating method, a coating solution for forming a coat is dropped on a center of a surface of a workpiece W and uniformly spread over the surface of the workpiece W. At this time, a part of the coating solution runs around an outer periphery of the workpiece W and reaches an underside of the workpiece W. However, the workpiece W coated with the coating solution is fed as such to a reduced pressure drying device 3 and dried to some extent. Next, the workpiece is transported to a chuck 42 of a washing spinner 4 by a transportation device 6 and rotated at a high speed while being kept sucked by the chuck 42, and at the same time, a washing liquid is injected from a nozzle 43 to the underside of the workpiece to thereby wash away the wraparound part of the coating solution which is solidified on the underside of the workpiece to some extent.
Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 09-092134 (Patent Literature 7) discloses a nozzle coating method of applying a coating solution injected through a nozzle to a plate such as a substrate. In the nozzle coating method, the coating solution is injected from a tip end of a nozzle which is spaced from a planar surface of a workpiece to which the coating solution is to be applied. At the same time, the nozzle is moved relative to the surface to be applied in parallel relation thereto so that the coating solution is applied onto the surface in the form of a coating line. The formation of the coating line is successively and repeatedly performed in such a manner that a part of the next coating line overlaps with the previous coating line in a width direction thereof. The coating solution is thus applied onto the substrate to form a coated surface.    Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 7-328506    Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 11-151458    Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 11-217240    Patent Literature 4: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2007-175663    Patent Literature 5: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2006-175421    Patent Literature 6: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 09-164364    Patent Literature 7: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 09-092134